All Blacks winners and losers: Scott Robertson shows ‘loyalty’ with playmaker call but experienced forwards jettisoned

Following Scott Robertson’s team announcement for the All Blacks’ first Test against the Wallabies, here are our winners and losers from the 23 named for the Rugby Championship clash in Sydney.

New Zealand have once again made a few changes, which includes returning to the Damian McKenzie-Beauden Barrett playmaking axis with Will Jordan moving back to the wing. They have also kept faith with some of their younger players as an experienced few have paid the price for their displays in South Africa.

We unpack the matchday squad and pick out our winners and losers from Robertson’s selections.

Winners

Damian McKenzie

You can’t deny Robertson’s loyalty, with the head coach backing the playmaker to the hilt in the fly-half jersey. McKenzie is not playing poorly but it is the only position in the backline which the All Blacks boss has not changed at some point this year and he is sending a message that the 29-year-old is his man at number 10.

After their tryless performance in Cape Town, we thought Beauden Barrett might get given an opportunity, but McKenzie has once again been preferred. There are plenty of nice things from the Chiefs star but, at the moment, it is just not quite clicking in attack for New Zealand. They will hope that changes in Sydney.

Beauden Barrett

As mentioned, it is not at fly-half, but the great playmaker returns to the XV, underlying his importance to the squad. Robertson put him on the bench in the second Springboks Test, hoping that he could provide the late impact they didn’t have in Johannesburg, but ultimately it took away their threat from the start.

Having Barrett as an extra pair of eyes has been vital for McKenzie in 2024 and no doubt that combination will once again be important this weekend. While Will Jordan wants to play at full-back, they do need to fit in that second playmaker somewhere and it is therefore logical for the 33-year-old to come back in.

Tupou Vaa’i

It was a big challenge for the Chiefs forward against the physically imposing Springboks but he passed it with flying colours, especially his display in the second Test. As a result, Vaa’i stays in the starting line-up despite the return of Patrick Tuipulotu from injury.

His effort in Cape Town could perhaps prove to be his breakthrough moment in Test rugby as he looks to cement himself in the second-row alongside captain Scott Barrett. Vaa’i has always had the talent but this tournament could well be the time that he shows he is ready to take that next step.

Pasilio Tosi

Robertson has opted for the inexperienced prop, who looks set to set to make his second Test appearance after debuting against Fiji in July. Following Fletcher Newell’s injury, Tosi was the only out-and-out tighthead in the wider squad, but Robertson could have easily opted for Ofa Tu’ungafasi or Tamaiti Williams as options, given that both cover that position. However, the 26-year-old Hurricane gets the nod to face the Wallabies.

Youngsters trusted

It would have been strange to have dropped Wallace Sititi given his performance in Cape Town, but you never know how coaches will handle their young players. However, Sititi retains his place in the side and hopefully, he will produce another fine effort – this time to potentially convince the All Blacks boss that number eight is his best slot.

For now, Ardie Savea continues at the base of the scrum and he will once again link with Cortez Ratima in the crucial eight-nine axis. Ratima also played well out in South Africa, showing great maturity despite his tender years, and he has another opportunity to nail down the position.

All Blacks team: Scott Robertson gets timely double boost as Beauden Barrett starts for Bledisloe I

Losers

Will Jordan

The speedster keeps his place in the team but New Zealand’s full-back experiment lasted just one match with Jordan moved back to the wing. It is fair to say that it did not work out for the Crusaders star in South Africa as he struggled to make an impact.

What is counting against the 26-year-old is that the All Blacks need an extra playmaker in the backline and, unfortunately for him, that can only come at full-back, especially with Jordie Barrett the nailed-on 12. Although the younger Barrett has a nice passing and kicking game, he doesn’t have the natural vision and creativity of his older brother, which is impacting Jordan’s chances of taking that full-back jersey.

Mark Tele’a

It has been a strange year for the wing; start one week and then dropped the next. While Tele’a had been an ever-present in the 23, you don’t feel that he is entirely trusted by Robertson, who benched him for games against Argentina and South Africa.

Although the flyer returned for the second Springboks Test, he has now been discarded from the 23 altogether. We don’t think his form has been poor but obviously Robertson has not been convinced by his displays so far in 2024.

Patrick Tuipulotu

Returned from injury ahead of this game against the Wallabies but did not make the 23. He would have been the ideal impact replacement but Robertson has given youngster Sam Darry another opportunity.

Darry has been impressive whenever he has taken to the field, but it also shows that Tuipulotu has not quite been at his best when in the team. The powerhouse Blues forward is an experienced campaigner but he has endured a disrupted 2024 Test season so far.

Ethan Blackadder

Missed the second Boks clash due to injury but he wasn’t named as one of their enforced absentees for Bledisloe I when the squad was announced. No doubt the form of Sititi has something to do with that as the youngster was magnificent last time out, but we thought a bench spot would be forthcoming.

However, Luke Jacobson gets the nod instead. There is not much between those two in terms of what they offer as a replacement, with both players incredibly versatile and able to feature in all three back-row positions. Jacobson may be a slightly better lineout operator, but it is an interesting call from Robertson.

Missing props

Tu’ungafasi has been the go-to loosehead off the bench but he has paid the price for his display last time out. Following Ethan de Groot’s return from a neck injury, the Blues prop misses out on the 23 for the first time in the Rugby Championship.

That means Tamaiti Williams, who had started the past three internationals, is among the replacements. Ordinarily, Williams would be alongside Fletcher Newell on the New Zealand bench, but the tighthead will miss this game due to injury.

READ MORE: ‘It’s hard to watch’ – Aaron Smith gives verdict on Scott Robertson’s All Blacks